Awards

Politics

It's happened to all of us recently: you're driving along, trying not to think about the contentious upcoming election, when you notice a bumper sticker on the car in front of you, emblazoned with the name of your least favorite candidate. What do you do? If you're like most people, you choke down...Read More»

Tired of hearing about the U.S. presidential election? We bear tidings of great joy: 1. It'll all be over next Tuesday (hopefully). 2. Today is Halloween, which means candy, trick-or-treaters, and other spooky distractions from 24 hours' worth of contentious headlines. 3. According to many...Read More»

It's no surprise that U.S. auto dealers and dealer networks skew heavily Republican. The GOP has built a reputation as being pro-business and anti-regulation -- stances that appeal to many in the business community. According to Auto News, though, the 2016 election cycle could be a confusing one...Read More»

Whew! It's finally over. Almost. When Election 2012 gets filed away in some extraterrestrial media-storage device, we hope the rest of the universe looks on us with a sense of pity--because this year's silly season has been sillier than usual. Especially when it comes to cars. At times, it seemed...Read More»

In America, many voters are focused on tonight's presidential debate at Hofstra University. But some are already thinking ahead to November 6 and wondering, "How the heck am I going to get to the polls?" Zipcar could be the answer they're looking for. Zipcar has announced a one-day program called...Read More»

Forget John Grisham and Stephen King: if you want some good beach reading this Labor Day weekend, break out a copy of the official Republican party platform, which was ratified yesterday in Tampa. (The Democratic platform may be equally entertaining, but unfortunately, it won't be available until...Read More»

Since 1980, General Motors has provided cars to both Republicans and Democrats for their national conventions -- and it's done so free of charge. But according to a report in Detroit News, that policy has come to a screeching halt. Typically, GM has supplied the conventions with several hundred...Read More»

'Tis the season for many things: late-summer road trips. Back-to-school shopping. And of course, iffy political attack ads. By now, we'd expected to see a number of commercials criticizing incumbents' support of the Detroit bailout begun by President Bush and continued under President Obama. But in...Read More»

With November's presidential election drawing close, the tickets are now set, with President Obama and Vice President Biden set to take on Gov. Mitt Romney and newly named Vice President nominee, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan. According to a report last year by National Public Radio, the...Read More»

Once upon a time, corporations seemed pretty adept at keeping their political activities quiet. But as reps from Lowe's, Kraft, and Chick-fil-A will quickly tell you, that ain't the case no more: thanks to the internet and today's 24-hour news cycle, corporate lobbying maneuvers are increasingly...Read More»

As the glossies go, Automobile magazine has always strived to be a bit different and a bit less politically correct than the other keep-the-advertisers-happy-at-all-costs buff books. The latest issue, with its feature story on Mitt Romney and his auto industry executive father, George, is certainly...Read More»

Last week, we told you about a proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that would require brake-override systems on new vehicles. But there's more change afoot in D.C.: according to Mashable, legislation has passed in the U.S. Senate that would mandate the installation of...Read More»

The differences between Republicans and Democrats extend beyond mere political ideology. When it comes to buying cars, party loyalists on both sides have distinctly different tastes, but their respective vehicle choices don’t always play to stereotypes. As the latest survey from Strategic...Read More»

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's made no secrets of his ties to the epicenter of the American auto industry, in Michigan. Not only was Romney's father George governor of the state, he was president of American Motors during that company's last real run at success, in the 1960s. But as he's...Read More»

Last Friday, the influential California Air Resources Board adopted new emission rules that will require carmakers to sell increasing number of zero-emission vehicles in the state, starting in 2018. By 2025, fully 15.4 percent of the cars sold annually in California must be zero-emission...Read More»

In case you’ve spent the past 30 days engaging in holiday revelry without regard to current international events, we’ve got some bad news for you. Things in the Middle East, while never good, have gone from bad to worse. In retaliation for Iran’s continued nuclear efforts, the...Read More»

If you're an American of a certain age, it was hard not to watch news coverage of Kim Jong-il's funeral procession, lined with thousands of keening North Koreans, and not think of that Simpsons episode about the charlatan called "The Leader". And if you looked a little closer, there was more irony...Read More»

The year 2011 will not go down in history as the happiest year for the auto industry. From March's destructive earthquake and tsunami in Japan, to the year-long Saab saga that's ending sadly, it's been a difficult, sometimes tragic, year for the people who work in the auto industry. There is...Read More»

Democracy is often a messy process, with extreme statements on both sides of any issue--particularly when public attitudes are evolving rapidly on contentious social issues. So it may be best to view last week's statement by an executive at the American Family Association that we will soon legally...Read More»